Health help seeking behaviour and health care services utilisation of Bruneian men: a grounded theory study.

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Despite the growth in research on masculinities and health help seeking behaviour we have little idea of how gender and ethnicity intersect to inform health help seeking behaviour among men in multi-ethnic cultures. This paper presents findings from a PhD research project investigating how being a man in Brunei Darussalam, a country with a strong religious and diverse cultural society; influences men’s perceptions of and attitudes towards their health and health help seeking behaviour.

Using Grounded Theory, this thesis reports a study that utilised semi structured interviews and focus group discussions with a total of 47 men and women from diverse ethnic backgrounds in Brunei Darussalam. Three key themes emerged from the analysis of interviews with men: 1) The physicality of health and its importance to masculinity; 2) “Ikhtiar” as a way of ‘doing masculinity’ in the context of experiences of ill-health; and 3) masculinity and legitimation of health help seeking. A core concept found in this study relates to the process by which men operate and re-negotiate their masculinity in relation to their engagement with health care services, particularly when their ability to perform masculine responsibilities are potentially jeopardised by ill-health. Themes emerging from interviews with women focused on the relationship between wives and husbands, and daughters and fathers, and the way caring responsibilities reinforced bonds within the family. Women saw men’s reluctance to use healthcare as ‘normal for men’, while men acknowledged that pressure from wives was a factor in their decision to seek help.

This study contributes to the development of knowledge about masculinities and health in a geographical region where to date there has been no empirical research, despite the existence of epidemiological evidence indicating that men’s health needs are serious and appear to be unmet.